23 inspiring
community stories
Stories exploring process, practice, and the moments that shape creative lives.
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Disability, AI, and the Politics of World-Building
Within disability-led arts practice, technology is not a prosthesis that compensates for lack, but a collaborator that reshapes how agency circulates. -
Design friction: Paste-ups, automation, and meaning
Digital platforms produce fast, market-driven design. Can slower, obsolete processes restore meaning through labor? -
Big birthdays, new strategies, and a huge garage sale
Gabi Lardies dives into this week’s arts news. -
‘People open their hearts to me straight away’: Cassandra Woodhouse on going deep
The actress has been touring Prima Facie around the motu for almost three years. The impact on her, and on audiences, has been huge. -
How, and why, to run a mini-festival within a festival
PROWL Fest brings a litany of events to Auckland Pride. Sam Brooks talks to artistic director Hayley Walters and co-producer Renee Wikitoria about what it takes to bring a “mini-festival” to life. -
Toi Ōtautahi Dispatch: February is for funding and festivals!
As well as open calls, new beginnings, and free art history lessons. -
‘Hard work and delusion baby!’: Kate Low on how to make your dreams come true
The actor and producer shares how she navigates an industry that can be soul-sucking. -
Roimata Smail on using design, writing, art, and music for education and hope
The human rights lawyer, educator, and bestselling author explains how she has used a beautiful book to teach people about Te Tiriti. -
How to read The Big Idea
Your guide to our stories, columns, and categories. -
How Shakespeare in the Park has built a community over three decades
Shoreside Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park hits its 30th anniversary this year. Sam Brooks talks to board member and longtime participant James Bell on how the company has lasted so long. -
Asian in Aotearoa: ‘Arts coverage, but probably not in a traditional way’
Jean Teng talks to Jenna Wee about her way of finding Asians doing cool shit – starting a podcast before everybody else had one. -
Should institutions be judged by the way they treat their collections?
Mark Amery considers the value of public art collections while visiting three very different exhibitions in the North Island this summer -
Notes on a soft launch
Getting the next iteration of The Big Idea moving forward. -
A few things to keep on your radar in 2026
We’re back and busier than ever! -
‘Painting is the secret to a long life’: Tove Spary on women artists in their 90s
The painter’s biggest inspirations are older women who never stopped making, even when no-one was looking. -
Global Compass: February's events, opportunities, and news
A new monthly digest tracking Aotearoa artists overseas and international opportunities you don't want to miss, brought to you by Genista Jurgens. -
Rangatahi rising: Mātauranga and education at Wairau Māori Art Gallery
Every week, school students walk through the doors of Wairau. What do the education programmes offer them? -
Everything you need to know about listing on our new website
An informative guide for those who list jobs, opportunities or events with The Big Idea. -
Our roses, thorns, and buds from 2025
The Big Idea team reflect on the year that was in the arts. -
Shaquille Wasasala, a DJ who desperately needed a break
For many years she cultivated queer Indigenous nightlife in Tāmaki Makaurau and beyond. This year she took a break. What did it bring her? -
Lalstars forever: Theatre community reels after loss of hardcase genius lighting designer
Friend and colleague Sean Rivera remembers Jen Lal who died last month – a loss that has dimmed stages across Aotearoa. -
Sarah Owen, Kairangaranga in the Māori music ecosystem
In the school holidays, she worked in a record label's distribution warehouse. Now she leads Ka Korokī Ka Maranga, the Māori Music Industry Collective. -
Toi Ōtautahi Dispatch: Art machines, taonga pūoro, and 15-minute cities
What's happening in the garden city this December?